MEPs are set to give their final approval to the reform of the EU’s Blue Card directive, to facilitate the employment of highly qualified third country nationals in Europe. In May 2021, Parliament and Council negotiators agreed on a revision of the 2009 Blue Card directive to make it easier for employers in EU member states […]
“Dialogue” to mark the European Day of Jewish Culture
The European Day of Jewish Culture is celebrated in 30 countries in Europe. The aim of this day is to organise activities related to Jewish culture for the public, with the intention of raising awareness of the cultural and historical heritage of the Jewish people. The activities are coordinated by the European Association for the […]
Europe-Wide Day of Remembrance for the victims of all totalitarian regimes
Every 23 August the European Union commemorates the victims of all totalitarian regimes and recalls with regret the terrible consequences of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact signed on 23 August 1939 between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. The pact plunged Europe further into one of its darkest periods and millions of people were killed. Tens of […]
Commission approves new contract for a potential COVID-19 vaccine with Novavax
The European Commission has approved its seventh Advanced Purchase Agreement (APA) with a pharmaceutical company to ensure access to a potential vaccine against COVID-19 in Q4 of 2021 and in 2022. Under this contract, Member States will be able to purchase up to 100 million doses of the Novavax vaccine, with an option for 100 […]
2021 Rule of Law Report
The European Commission has published the second EU-wide Report on the Rule of Law with a Communication looking at the situation in the EU as a whole and dedicated country chapters on each Member State. The 2021 report looks at the new developments since last September, deepening the assessment of issues identified in the previous report and taking […]
Immigration law enforcement in the EU – figures for 2020
In 2020, 137 800 non-EU citizens were refused entry into the EU territory while 557 500 were found to be illegally present in one of the EU Member States. The number of non-EU citizens issued with an order to leave an EU Member State was 396 400 people. Following an order to leave, 99 300 […]
The EU on the current geopolitical chessboard
In view of the serious international situation and the escalation of conflicts in different areas of Europe, the EU Foreign Affairs Ministers have held a series of meetings since May 18 in order to address the various current situations and reach consensus agreements: Main results EU Foreign Ministers exchanged views on the recent serious escalation […]
EU Covid EU digital certificate approved by European Parliament
Parliament and Council negotiators reached a provisional agreement for an EU Covid digital certificate to facilitate free movement during the pandemic. The certificate will be available in either digital or paper format. It will attest that a person has been vaccinated against coronavirus or has a recent negative test result or has recovered from the […]
Nearly 70 billion euros in Spain’s Recovery Plan
The Commission has received official recovery and resilience plans from Denmark, Spain, Latvia and Luxembourg. The Recovery, Transformation and Resilience plan aims to provide €672.5 billion in loans and grants to support reforms and investments undertaken by Member States. The aim is to reduce the economic and social impact of the coronavirus pandemic and to […]